Method for cutting at least one workpiece section which may have been produced in an extrusion press

ABSTRACT

In a method for cutting at least one workpiece section ( 1 ), in particular aluminum section, which may have been produced in an extrusion press, using a sawing device ( 19 ) which, on a frame ( 5 ), is displaced along an X-axis above a conveyor device ( 2 ) for workpiece sections ( 1 ), a saw ( 13 ) is displaced with respect to the sawing device ( 19, 25 ) in an X-direction and/or Y-direction above the conveyor device ( 2 ) for workpiece sections ( 1 ), in order to cut at least one workpiece section ( 1 ), at least one saw bench ( 15 ) is moved into a conveyor plane ( 20 ) of the conveyor device ( 2 ) for workpiece sections ( 1 ), the at least one workpiece section ( 1 ) then being moved in via the at least one saw bench ( 15 ) and then being cut through.

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for cutting at leastone workpiece section, in particular aluminum section, which may havebeen produced in an extrusion press, using a sawing device which, on aframe, is displaced along an X-axis above a conveyor device forworkpiece sections, a saw being displaced with respect to the sawingdevice in an X-direction and/or Y-direction above the conveyor devicefor workpiece sections, and to a device for carrying out the method.

[0002] A wide variety of forms and designs of such methods and devicesare known in the prior art. They are primarily used to cut, for example,workpiece sections which have been produced in extrusion presses tolength.

[0003] Nowadays, modern extrusion presses are able to produce largenumbers of workpiece sections extremely quickly. Conventional sawingdevices are unable to keep up with the rapid production of workpiecesections in extrusion presses when cutting through the workpiecesections.

[0004] A suitable sawing device is connected downstream of aconventional conveyor device. Between extrusion and cutting of theworkpiece sections, the latter may pass through various other processes.

[0005] A drawback of methods and devices of this nature which arecurrently known is that to date workpiece sections have been sawn and,in particular, cut through much too slowly. Modern extrusion presses areconsiderably faster than such devices for cutting workpiece sections tolength. Therefore, the workpiece sections are removed from the conveyordevices and are later sawed to length on separate belts, whichrepresents an expensive and undesirable operation.

[0006] A further drawback is that precise sawing and exact cutting tolength are not possible. If extruded sections which have been cut tolength in the correct dimensions were available, manufacturers ofcertain desired workpiece sections could save additional process costs.In addition, it is also intended for it to be possible for the workpiecesections coming from the belt to be directly cut to length into shortpieces.

[0007] This object is achieved by the fact that in order to cut at leastone workpiece section, at least one saw bench is moved into a conveyorplane of the conveyor device for workpiece sections, the at least oneworkpiece section then being moved in via the at least one saw bench andthen being cut through.

[0008] By means of the present invention, a sawing device which can bedisplaced via a framework element above a conveyor device along a framecan be positioned in a very simple and rapid manner. The sawing devicecan be displaced in the conveying direction of the conveyor device alongpreferably ground guide rails between the framework element on which thesawing device is arranged. Drive motors can accurately control anddirect a sawing device of this nature.

[0009] The sawing device can be displaced in two axes on the frameworkelement. It can be lowered and can be displaced transversely to theconveyor device, and, in particular, transversely to the conveyingdirection of a workpiece section.

[0010] However, the essential feature of the present invention is that asaw bench is moved into the conveyor device as a result of theconveying-roller elements of this device giving way and moving downward.Then, a workpiece section, or even a plurality of workpiece sections,can be moved over the saw bench by being conveyed onward by means of theconveyor device. When the workpiece section has reached a stop, a blankholder, which is preferably provided on the guide columns assigned tothe framework element, can be moved downward onto the workpiece section.By means of the blank holder, the workpiece section can be clamped inplace with respect to the saw bench which has been lowered into theconveyor device. Subsequently, the saw can be moved downward and theworkpiece section cut through in a very precise manner.

[0011] For this purpose, it is advantageous if a suitable groove isprovided in the saw bench. This groove can be dispensed with, forexample, if the saw blade of the saw cuts through the workpiece sectionoutside the bench.

[0012] In a further preferred exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, a sawing device is mounted on a holding element in such amanner that it can pivot about a pivot point. Radial pivoting allows thesaw to be advanced in or in the opposite direction to a Y-direction ofthe saw. At the same time, the sawing device can be moved back and forthin the X-direction on the holding element. Pivoting the saw in orpivoting it about an at-rest position results in a radial rotation andtherefore in the saw being advanced into the workpiece section. Asubsequent displacement in the X-direction results in workpiece sectionswhich are clamped in a blank holder of a saw bench being cut through.After they have been cut through, the return movement of the sawingdevice in the opposite direction to an X-direction and simultaneousrotation about the pivot point can take place at the same time, in orderto pivot the saw, in particular its blade, out of the saw bench.

[0013] When the saw blade has been pivoted out, the workpiece sectionwhich has been cut to length can immediately be moved out and the nextsection can be moved in. In this way, it is possible to saveconsiderable manufacturing costs relating to the accurate, precise andrapid cutting.

[0014] Furthermore, it is advantageous in the present invention for aplurality of sawing devices which are arranged movably, by means of oneframework element each, on a frame above the conveyor device, to cut aworkpiece section into a plurality of parts at the same time or atoffset intervals. In this case, it is possible to precisely determinethe length of individual parts between, for example, two sawing devices.

[0015] As a result, a single workpiece section can be divided into anyappropriate number of desired parts, for example by providing aplurality of sawing devices, in one operation. This can take place veryquickly.

[0016] Further advantages, features and details of the invention willemerge from the following description of preferred exemplary embodimentsand with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0017]FIG. 1a shows a diagrammatic cross section through a deviceaccording to the invention for cutting at least one workpiece section;

[0018]FIG. 1b shows at least part of a simplified side view of aconveyor device which is assigned to the device in accordance with FIG.1;

[0019]FIG. 2 shows a diagrammatic side view of the device in accordancewith FIG. 1a in a different position of use;

[0020]FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic cross section through a furtherexemplary embodiment of the device for cutting at least one workpiecesection;

[0021]FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic side view of the device in accordancewith FIG. 3 in a possible position of use.

[0022] In accordance with FIGS. 1a and 1 b, a device R according to theinvention for cutting workpiece sections 1 has a conveyor device 2, inorder to feed workpiece sections 1 from an extrusion press (not shownhere), which acts as a series feed device, to a downstream saw with alength stop.

[0023] No further details need be provided with regard to the extrusionof workpiece sections 1, a subsequent transverse conveying and coolingof the workpiece sections 1, in particular extruded sections, in thecooling bed, and any after-treatment which follows. The conveyor device2 is designed as a saw feeder for the workpiece section 1. This conveyordevice 2 is of conventional nature and has a plurality ofconveying-roller elements 3 which are driven by means of a drive 4, cf.FIG. 1b, in order to convey the workpiece section 1.

[0024] The particular feature of the conveying-roller elements 3 is thatwhen pressure is applied, as shown in particular in FIG. 2, they can befolded away downward, in an articulated manner, via lever elements whichare not provided with a reference numeral in this description. In thiscase, the conveying-roller elements 3 are prestressed, for example bymeans of a spring, so that a certain pressure is required in order tomove them downward. Preferably, all the conveying-roller elements 3 ofthe conveyor device 2 can be folded or pivoted away downward in a sawingarea.

[0025] If a conveying-roller element 3 is pivoted away downward, it isdecoupled from the drive 4. In FIG. 2, the drive 4 is shown as a chainindicated by dashed lines. In this way, the individual conveying-rollerelements can be separated from the drive 4 by applying pressure andmoving them downward.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 1a and 2, the conveyor device 2 is arranged sothat it can move in a coordinate direction Z.

[0027] Furthermore, a frame 5, which is designed to be higher than theconveyor device 2, is provided running in a Z-direction, preferably nextto the sides of the conveyor device 2. The frame 5, preferably itsportal elements 6.1, 6.2, runs parallel to the conveyor device 2. Guiderails 7.1, 7.2, on which a framework element 8 can be displaced back andforth substantially without play, and in an exact and precise manner,are provided above the portal elements 6.1, 6.2. The drive motors 9allow the framework element 8 to be moved very precisely into anydesired position on the portal elements 6.1, 6.2.

[0028] As illustrated by dashed lines in FIG. 2, the framework element 8is assigned at least one saw-holding framework 10.1, 10.2, from whichguide rails 7.3, 7.4 project downward. By means of a holding plate 11and a strut 12 which is preferably perpendicularly connected to thisplate, a saw 13 can be displaced back and forth in a verticallyadjustable manner, i.e. in a Y-direction. The guide elements or guiderails are not described in more detail here. Furthermore, the saw 13 canbe displaced along the guide rails 7.3, 7.4 or along the saw-holdingframe 10.1, 10.2, in the X-direction.

[0029] However, in the present invention it is advantageous for guidecolumns 14.1, 14.2 to project downward from the framework element 8, asshown in particular in FIG. 2. According to the invention, at least onesaw bench 15 can be displaced on the guide columns via guide rails 7.5,7.6. The saw bench 15 may be provided with a sawing groove 16.

[0030] Furthermore, the framework element 8 or the guide columns 14.1,14.2 is/are assigned a blank holder 17 which can be displaced in theY-direction. The function of the blank holder 17 is to be moved onto theworkpiece section 1 and to clamp this section with respect to the sawbench 15. In so doing, the blank holder 17 can releasably fix theworkpiece section 1 which has been moved into the saw bench 15 in adesired position.

[0031] The saw bench 15 may also be provided with roller elements 18, inorder to convey a workpiece section 1 which has been moved onward intothe saw bench virtually without friction.

[0032] The overall result is a sawing device 19 which can be used tomove any desired distance, in an adjustable manner, with respect to astop (not shown here). It is possible to move to cutting locations whichare exactly and accurately desired, preferably via ground guide rails7.1 to 7.4.

[0033] A further preferred exemplary embodiment of the present inventionshows a device R₁ in which a sawing device 25 with saw 13 can bepositioned above a conveyor device 2 by means of a frame 5.

[0034] In this case, at least one saw-holding framework 10.1, 10.2 ismounted on the frame 5, and in particular on its framework element 8, insuch a manner that it can be displaced in a Z-direction illustratedalong portal elements 6.1, 6.2 on guide rails 7, preferably ground guiderails. In the preferred exemplary embodiment, the portal frameworks 6.1,6.2 are arranged considerably closer together than in the exemplaryembodiment shown in FIGS. 1a and 1 b. They are suspended or arrangeddirectly from or on the framework element 8 of the frame 5,approximately centrally above the conveyor device 2.

[0035] A further difference between this exemplary embodiment and thosementioned above is that the sawing device 25, together with saw 13, canbe displaced back and forth in the X-direction illustrated along aholding element 26 which is preferably arranged horizontally. Theholding element 26 is connected to the saw-holding framework 10.1, 10.2.It is also intended for displacement to be as accurate as possible andfor the cutting to be as precise as possible. Not only is the saw 13connected to the holding element 26 and arranged so that it can bedisplaced in the X-direction, but also the holding element 26 isconnected via guide columns 14 to the saw bench 15 and its blank holder17. These components are actuated in the manner described above.

[0036] However, an essential factor here is that the sawing device 25 isarranged horizontally in an at-rest position, as indicated in FIG. 3.

[0037] If a workpiece section 1 or a plurality of workpiece sections 1are to be cut through in the saw bench 15, the sawing device 25, whichis mounted on the holding element 26 by means of a saw arm 27, ispivoted downward about a pivot point P, so that the saw blade 21 ispivoted downward. This takes place outside the saw bench 15, as shown inparticular by FIG. 3. Then, by displacing the sawing device 25 in theX-direction, the at least one workpiece section 1, which is clamped inthe manner described above, is cut through, the sawing device 25 beingdisplaced through a sawing groove 16 (not shown) and then, after theworkpiece sections 1 have been completely cut through, being pivotedback into a horizontal position about the pivot point P. Even while thesaw 13 is being pivoted back into the horizontal position, the saw arm27, and in particular the saw 13, can be moved back into their starting,at-rest position. This increases the speed with which the workpiecesections are cut through, since this return movement and pivoting cantake place considerably more quickly.

[0038] Furthermore, a linear movement of the sawing device in theX-direction is all that is then required. The feed movement is carriedout by pivoting the saw 13 about the pivot point P. In this way, the sawblade 21 can be guided into the workpiece section 1, in particular intothe extruded section, and thus can cut through this section in a verysimple, inexpensive manner, without long displacement distances. Thismakes it possible to save additional costs and time.

[0039] The exemplary embodiment in accordance with FIG. 4 illustrateshow the saw bench 15 presses the individual conveying-roller elements 3downward in the manner described above, in order to move the workpiecesections 1 into the saw bench and then to fix them there by means of theblank holder 17. Cutting then takes place in the manner described above.

[0040] The present invention operates as follows:

[0041] The sawing device 19 is aligned with respect to a stop (not shownhere) or in accordance with a defined or desired length of the workpiecesection 1. Then, the saw bench 15 is moved into a conveyor plane 20 ofthe conveyor device 2 and applies pressure to the conveying-rollerelements 3 which lie beneath it until they give way under the pressureof the saw bench 15 which is moving downward. The saw bench 15 islowered sufficiently far for the workpiece section 1 to be able to moveinto or over the saw bench 15, as indicated in FIG. 2. The rollerelements 18 assist with conveying the workpiece section 1 over the sawbench 15.

[0042] The workpiece section 1 is conveyed at least to a specific stopby means of the conveyor device 2. While the conveyor device isconveying the workpiece section 1 onward, the conveying-roller elements2 which have been forced downward are decoupled from the drive 4. Thisdrive may be brought about, for example, simply by drive gearwheelsengaging in a driving chain. By pivoting the conveying-roller elements 3away, a connection, for example a gearwheel chain, can be interruptedvery easily.

[0043] When a desired length of the workpiece section 1 or a stop forthe workpiece section 1 has been reached, the at least one workpiecesection 1 is clamped between blank holder 17 and saw bench 15 by movingthe blank holder 17 downward. Then, the saw, as illustrated in FIG. 1a,is displaced downward, in the opposite direction to a Y-direction, a sawblade 21 cutting through the workpiece section 1 by displacing the saw13 in the X-direction. Then, the saw 13, after it has been moved out ofthe conveyor-device area and out of the workpiece section 1, isdisplaced upward in the Y-direction and, above the workpiece section 1,is moved back into the starting position. From there, a further cuttingoperation can be carried out when a new piece of the workpiece section 1is again bearing against the saw 13.

[0044] In a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, thesawing device 25 is arranged so that it can pivot about a pivot point P,this pivoting movement, which may be hydraulically controlled, allowingmovement into the workpiece section. Then, it is merely necessary todisplace the sawing device in the X-direction illustrated in order tocut through the individual workpiece sections 1 which are arranged nextto one another. Then, the sawing device 25 is pivoted out and movedback, if appropriate at the same time, in the opposite direction to theX-direction illustrated. It is pivoted out by rotating the saw 13 intoits at-rest position, which is preferably arranged horizontally. Heretoo, it is important that the sawing device 25 can be displaced downwardwhile still outside the conveyor device 2, so that a sawing process canbegin immediately after the workpiece sections 1 have been put in place.The fact that the sawing device is pivoted out and displaced backsimultaneously also saves considerable time in cutting through workpiecesections 1.

[0045] A further important factor in the present invention is that aplurality of sawing devices 19, 25, via a plurality of frameworkelements 8 on the frame 5 or portal elements 6, 6.1, 6.2, can cutthrough a workpiece section 1 simultaneously or successively. It ispreferable for these sawing devices to work simultaneously, in order inthis way to save on very high waiting times when cutting throughworkpiece sections 1.

[0046] It is also advantageous that each device R, R₁ or each sawingdevice 19, 25 can cut through the workpiece section 1 at any desiredposition on the frame 5 or portal element 6.1, 6.2. A plurality ofsawing devices 19, 25 are synchronously able to cut very long workpiecesections 1 into a large number of individual sections of equal ordifferent lengths. This makes it possible to reduce considerablemanufacturing costs when extruding extruded sections. Also, so-calledsweat mark scrap which is found in an extruded section can in this waybe removed very easily.

[0047] A novel sawing device of this nature is extremely quick and veryprecise, so that the workpiece sections can be accurately cut to thedesired length, as desired by a customer, for example, immediately afterextrusion. There is no need for subsequent reworking or further cuttingto length.

1. A method for cutting at least one workpiece section (1), inparticular aluminum section, which may have been produced in anextrusion press, using a sawing device (19) which, on a frame (5), isdisplaced along an X-axis above a conveyor device (2) for workpiecesections (1), a saw (13) being displaced with respect to the sawingdevice (19, 25) in an X-direction and/or Y-direction above the conveyordevice (2) for workpiece sections (1), wherein, in order to cut at leastone workpiece section (1), at least one saw bench (15) is moved into aconveyor plane (20) of the conveyor device (2) for workpiece sections(1), the at least one workpiece section (1) then being moved in via theat least one saw bench (15) and then being cut through.
 2. The method asclaimed in claim 1, wherein at least one blank holder (17) appliespressure to the workpiece sections (1) and is clamped against the sawbench (15) before the workpiece sections (1) are cut through.
 3. Themethod as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, when the at least one sawbench (15) is moved into the conveyor device (2), a conveyor belt and/orconveying-roller elements (3) are lowered sufficiently far downward inthe area of the saw bench (15) and then the workpiece section (1) isconveyed over the saw bench (15).
 4. The method as claimed in at leastone of claims 1 to 3, wherein by lowering the saw bench (15) into theconveyor device (2) a drive (4) of the lowered conveying-roller elements(3) is decoupled in this area.
 5. The method as claimed in at least oneof claims 1 to 4, wherein the sawing device (19, 25) is displaced on theframe (5) in the Z-axis in order to exactly position the saw (13) beforelowering the saw bench (15), precisely moving to a cutting length at areference point, in particular a stop or following workpiece section. 6.The method as claimed in at least one of claims 2 to 5, wherein, afterthe workpiece section (1) has been secured by means of at least oneblank holder (17) and the saw bench (15), the sawing device (19, 25) islowered next to the side of the conveyor device (2), in the oppositedirection to the Y-direction, then is displaced through the workpiecesection (1) in the X-direction, thus cutting through the workpiecesection (1), and the saw (13) is moved out of the workpiece section (1)along the Y-axis and is then displaced into a starting position bymoving in the X-direction.
 7. The method as claimed in at least one ofclaims 1 to 6, wherein the sawing device (19, 25) is moved into and outof the workpiece section (1) in linear fashion and/or by pivoting abouta pivot point (P).
 8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the saw(13) is radially pivoted about a pivot point (P) out of a horizontalposition into a position which is inclined downward, before the start ofa sawing process, and then the saw (13) is moved in linear fashion inthe (X)-direction through the workpiece section (1) and, after theworkpiece section has been cut through completely, the saw (13) can bepivoted out and, at the same time, moved in the opposite direction to an(X)-direction.
 9. The method as claimed in at least one of claims 1 to8, wherein at least one workpiece section (1) is cut into a plurality ofpart-sections of any desired length by means of a plurality of sawingdevices (19, 25) which are arranged displaceably on the frame (5) andoperate simultaneously and/or at offset, predeterminable intervals. 10.A device for cutting at least one workpiece section (1), in particularaluminum section, which may have been produced in an extrusion press,having a sawing device (19, 25) which can be displaced on a frame (5) ina Z-direction above a conveyor device (2) for workpiece sections (1),wherein at least one saw bench (15), which is assigned to the at leastone sawing device (19, 25), can be moved into the conveyor device (2).11. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the at least one sawbench (15) can be lowered into a conveyor plane (20) of the conveyordevice (2).
 12. The device as claimed in claim 10 or 11, wherein theconveyor device (2) is assigned a plurality of driven or drivableconveying-roller elements (3) which are driven by a drive (4).
 13. Thedevice as claimed in claim 12, wherein the conveying-roller elements (3)of the conveyor device (2) are designed so that they can be pivoted awayand/or lowered.
 14. The device as claimed in claim 12 or 13, wherein theconveying-roller elements (3) are designed so that they can be pivotedaway downward by the application of pressure.
 15. The device as claimedin at least one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the conveying-rollerelements (3) can be decoupled from the drive (4), in particular adriving chain, by being pivoted downward.
 16. The device as claimed inat least one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the frame (5) has at least oneportal element (6.1, 6.2), on which a framework element (8) for holdingthe sawing device (19) can be displaced on guide rails (7.1, 7.2). 17.The device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the framework element (8) canbe displaced along the portal elements (6.1, 6.2) on the frame (5) inand opposite to a conveying direction of a workpiece section (1). 18.The device as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the framework element(8) has at least one saw-holding framework (10) which is transverse tothe conveying direction and on which a saw (13) can be displaced backand forth in an X-direction along a guide rail (7.3, 7.4).
 19. Thedevice as claimed in claim 18, wherein the saw (13) can be displaced ina Y-direction along a guide rail.
 20. The device as claimed in at leastone of claims 16 to 19, wherein the framework element (8) is assignedguide columns (14.1, 14.2) which project downward and on which the atleast one saw bench (15), together with saw blade groove (16), can bedisplaced in the Y-direction.
 21. The device as claimed in claim 20,wherein the at least one guide column (14.1, 14.2) is assigned at leastone blank holder (17) which can be displaced in the Y-direction.
 22. Thedevice as claimed in claim 21, wherein the blank holder (17) is designedas a blank-holder bar.
 23. A device for cutting at least one workpiecesection (1), in particular aluminum section, which may have beenproduced in an extrusion press, having a sawing device (19, 25) whichcan be displaced on a frame (5) in a Z-direction above a conveyor device(2) for workpiece sections (1), wherein the at least one sawing device(19, 25) can be moved and/or pivoted into or out of a workpiece section(1) in linear fashion, in or in the opposite direction to a Y-direction,and/or by pivoting about a pivot point (P).
 24. The device as claimed inclaim 23, wherein the sawing device (25) can be pivoted out of ahorizontal position into the workpiece section (1) and can be displacedin the X-direction in order to cut through the workpiece section (1).25. The device as claimed in claim 23 or 24, wherein, after the saw (13)has been displaced in the X-direction, the sawing device (25), byrotating about a pivot point (P), can be moved out of the workpiecesections (1), in particular out of a sawing area, and can be displacedback into the starting position.